Mǽnan

Selon le Dictionnaire Anglo-Saxon :

mǽnan

p. de To mean. I. of persons (a) to intend to convey a certain sense :-- Gif hé of wege ǽnigne gebrohte . . ðæt is ðæt ic mǽne gif hé ǽnigne man on synne bespeóne if he have brought any man out of the way . . . , what I mean, is, if he have lured any man to sin, L. Pen. 16; Th. ii. 284, 12. Hwet mǽnde Crist ðá cwæþ; 'Ða unrihtwísan faraþ on ǽce wítu,' Shrn. 197, 18. God ðá geopenude Abrahame hwæt hé mid ðære sprǽce mǽnde. Gen. 18, 20. (b) to intend to indicate a certain person or thing without direct statement :-- Cweþan swá he tó ánum sprece and hwæðre ealle mǽneþ to say, as if he speaks to one and yet means all. Exon. 283; Th. 84, 24; Cri. 1378. Hé gecýðde ðæt hé ne mǽnde (indicaret) ðis andwearde lif, Past. 50, 2; Swt. 389, 22. Hwylc beren mǽnde hé ðonne elles búton heofona ríce, Blickl. Homl. 39, 27. Crist mǽnde ðone écan deáþ . . . ða Iudéiscan mǽndon ðisne and-weardan deáþ. Homl. Th. ii. 232, 20. Ne mǽnde úre Drihten mid ðisum wordum ða treówa ðe on appeltúne wexaþ, 406, 9. (c) to mean, purpose, have as an object to which the mind is directed, intend :-- Gif hé ðara nán ne déþ ðonne nát hé hwæt hé ménþ (Cott. MS. mænþ) if he does none of these, then he does not know what he means, Bt. 38, 2; Fox 198, 28. Ðá ongon hé sprecan swíðe feorran ymbútan swilce hé ná ða sprǽce ne mǽnde, 39, 5] Fox 218, 12. Hwæt ðú ðonne mǽne mid ðære gítsunge ðæs feós what do you mean by the greed of money? 32, 1; Fox 114, 7. II. (of things) to signify, have a certain signification or purpose :-- Saga hwæt ic mǽne, Salm. Kmbl. 472 ; Sal. 236: Exon. 124 b; Th. 479, 18; Rä. 62, 9. Oft gehwá gesihþ fægre stafas and nát hwæt hí mǽnaþ, Homl. Th. i. 186, 3. Hwæt mǽnde ðæt syxtig wera strongera? Blickl. Homl. 11, 22: Homl. Th. ii. 234, 31. Faraþ and leorníaþ hwæt ðæt mǽne: 'Ic wylle mildheortnysse, and ná offrunge,' 470, 18. Geleornian hwæt fulluht mǽne. Wulfst. 123, 4. Understandan hwæt ða twá word mǽnan, abrenuntio and credo, 38, 8. [O. Sax. ménian: O. Frs. ména: O. H. Ger. meinian : Ger. meinen.]

Mots connexes: ge-mǽnan. mænan